Recruitment Warriors 2025/2026 Recruitment & Retention

Warriors 2025/2026 Recruitment & Retention Discussion​

-	Player	2025	2026	2027	2028	2029
1	Bunty Afoa	✔
2	Tom Ale	✔
3	Mitchell Barnett	✔	✔	✔
4	Rocco Berry	✔	✔
5	Tanah Boyd	✔	✔
6	Kurt Capewell	✔	✔
7	Erin Clark	✔	✔	✔
8	Wayde Egan	✔	✔	✔
9	James Fisher-Harris	✔	✔	✔	✔
10	Jackson Ford	✔	✔	✔
11	Leka Halasima	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔
12	Morgan Harper	✔
13	Chanel Harris-Tavita	✔	✔
14	Sam Healey	✔	✔	✔
15	Edward Kosi	✔
16	Jacob Laban	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔
17	Ali Leiataua	✔	✔	✔
18	Jye Linnane	✔	✔	✔	✔
19	Freddy Lussick	✔	✔
20	Te Maire Martin	✔
21	Luke Metcalf	✔	✔
22	Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad	✔	✔	✔
23	Marata Niukore	✔	✔
24	Adam Pompey	✔	✔	✔
25	Tanner Stowers-Smith	✔	✔	✔
26	Taine Tuaupiki	✔	✔
27	Roger Tuivasa-Sheck	✔	✔
28	Demitric Vaimauga	✔	✔	✔	✔
29	Dallin Watene-Zelezniak	✔	✔	✔
S1	Kayliss Fatialofa	S
S2	Kalani Going	S
S3	Luke Hanson	S
S4	Eddie Ieremia-Toeava	S	✔	✔
S5	Sio Kali	S
S6	Patrick Moimoi	S
-	Kahu Capper	T	T
-	Jett Cleary	T	S	S
-	Morgan Gannon	-	✔	✔	✔
-	Jye Linnane	-	✔	✔	✔
-	Motu Pasikala	T	?	?

C = Club option, M = Mutual option, P = Player option, S = Supplementary contract, T = Train & Trial contract

Confirmed Top 30 2025: 29/30
Confirmed Supplementary 2025: 6/6

Confirmed Top 30 2026: 26/30
Confirmed Supplementary 2026: 1/6

2026 Gains: Morgan Gannon (Leeds Rhinos)
2026 Losses: Nil

Off Contract: Bunty Afoa, Tom Ale, Morgan Harper, Edward Kosi, Te Maire Martin
Can negotiate with others clubs from 01/11/25 (final year) : Rocco Berry, Tanah Boyd, Kurt Capewell, Chanel Harris-Tavita, Freddy Lussick, Luke Metcalf, Marata Niukore, Taine Tuaupiki, Roger Tuivasa-Sheck

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[Billyspleen75]

View attachment 13626

That is quite a shopping list, some were calling for Blake Wilson, can’t believe he doesn’t even have a contract as backup? We’d make him a starter next season

Interesting list. The backs/halves are decent but the forwards are absolute .
Adds to the thought that we need to lock up our young talent like EIT, Fatialofa, Crosby etc because other teams will be looking

 

[CWC]

Interesting list. The backs/halves are decent but the forwards are absolute .
Adds to the thought that we need to lock up our young talent like EIT, Fatialofa, Crosby etc because other teams will be looking

Yup the list is quite good for us because we are looking for backs. Credit to all the posters wanting Sexton last year lol, he does fit well in a penrith-lite system

 

[CWC]

I’d throw an offer at Doueihi. Mentioned him in the other thread as a competitor and he can play almost any position in the backline and kick

He’d be the perfect 14 ie an upgrade to TMM right now, although he probably doesn’t want to play bench lol

 

[Jaffa J]

Sloan can’t be worse than Kosi

 

[Wellington Warrior]

Recruitment… urgently need to find some outside backs with speed

 

[CWC]

Sloan or Wilson lol come on cheap money for fast finishers

 

[Ref]

Doueihi is first grade just okay in every position he plays.
Exactly the same as Jack Bird now.
I’d be surprised to see them both beyond this year in other than the odd cameo:

 

[Wahs_Ultras]

Well, looks like no last minute deals for us. Saw Junior Tupou went to the roosters. Surely he would have been worth a look for the rest of the season

 

[Horriors2013]

Bummer, doubt we were ever in the running since we're in NZ, but if we could make one signing for next year it'd be a stud back. Bless Pompey, but having a real strike centre would transform our team. Forwards are having to do way too much work to win games. Halves are young and will continue to improve next year, but the backs aren't and are likely at their ceilings, apart from maybe Berry who can't stay healthy.

Speaking of backs, clearly our young forwards current and coming through are looking the goods. Do we have much in the way of talented backs coming through? We could really use some.

Brandon Norris in Flegg at centre/wing. Putoko is good in centre. Le Mana is silky at fb. Sio Kali is the wing to watch. Speed to burn but strong too. Amituanai is alright too at wing. But Kali is the goods I reckon.

 

[BangBro's (still banging)]

Brandon Norris in Flegg at centre/wing. Putoko is good in centre. Le Mana is silky at fb. Sio Kali is the wing to watch. Speed to burn but strong too. Amituanai is alright too at wing. But Kali is the goods I reckon.

Kali needs to put a season together first.

 

[Completion Rate]

Brandon Norris in Flegg at centre/wing. Putoko is good in centre. Le Mana is silky at fb. Sio Kali is the wing to watch. Speed to burn but strong too. Amituanai is alright too at wing. But Kali is the goods I reckon.

Brandon Norris has really emerged in that Flegg side as a real option. Safe hands, quick thinking and strong in contact. Has all the makings of a first grader - and it appears he's as good at both center and wing.

 

[Noitall]

Interesting knights forum says Warriors and manly were interested in Jack Hetherington but both backed out when they learned how much he’s on for the rest of the season. Must have been for the remainder of the season?

 

[Blain]

Interesting knights forum says Warriors and manly were interested in Jack Hetherington but both backed out when they learned how much he’s on for the rest of the season. Must have been for the remainder of the season?

They wish.

 

[Noitall]

They wish.

Presume it would have been to try and cover some of the loss of Barnett before June 30

 

[Teets]

View attachment 13626

That is quite a shopping list, some were calling for Blake Wilson, can’t believe he doesn’t even have a contract as backup? We’d make him a starter next season

DCE and most of the forwards due for a move to Northern England to collect a superleague pension.

 

[CLQV3R]

Man, imagine Christmases in the McFadden house. "No new toys again this year, kids. But, the old PS1 still turns on sometimes, and you can help yourself to my old clothes which you'll grow into." I kid. Love you Cappy.

 

[Ever Hopeful]

Man, imagine Christmases in the McFadden house. "No new toys again this year, kids. But, the old PS1 still turns on sometimes, and you can help yourself to my old clothes which you'll grow into." I kid. Love you Cappy.

That's pretty funny!

We all feel it, and I'd love a couple of fast, athletic signings.

I think we all know that this is the smartest the Warriors have ever managed the cap though. No more digging deep holes we can't get out of in a hurry. Securing our youth and our future.

Booooooooring.

 

[Noitall]

They wish.

In there too it mentions knights reached out to raiders about Trey Mooney and Pasami Saulo but raiders shut it down. Mooney is signed until 2027 but apparently frustrated at his lack of game time at raiders. He’d be one I’d be keeping an eye on I was Warriors

 

[Blain]

Presume it would have been to try and cover some of the loss of Barnett before June 30

Or it's a wishful fan hoping for other teams to take their trash early. Wouldn't have been surprised if his agent was shopping him to everyone.

The guy is a NSW Cup player, why would the Warriors need a fringe 20 minute bench player. The fact we haven't got him tells you all you need to know, considering we have Walker's and Harris's money and roster spots available.

Mooney is a good player. But no way Raiders would let him walk.

 

[Noitall]

Or it's a wishful fan hoping for other teams to take their trash early. Wouldn't have been surprised if his agent was shopping him to everyone.

The guy is a NSW Cup player, why would the Warriors need a fringe 20 minute bench player. The fact we haven't got him tells you all you need to know, considering we have Walker's and Harris's money and roster spots available.

Mooney is a good player. But no way Raiders would let him walk.

Knights were the ones that blocked Hetherington from finishing 2025 somewhere else despite him having no contact there for 2026. The person with the information is very reliable, Barry Toohey at knights is close to the club. Raiders are in the middle of extensions for a some players apparently. They trying to lock down Kaeo Weekes long term and have a couple of props can be negotiated with in November being Moriata and Saulo. Papalii leaving might see Mooney with more game time, but the other two being extended could see Mooney surplus?